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Greymouth Evening Star, 10 July 1937, Page 13

Hollywood does not offer to aspiring actors and actresses a wide-open door to fame and fortune, according to Mr. J. Gordon Allard, a business man of that city who is visiting Wellington (states “The Dominion”). In his business, Mr. Allard has come into close contact with several of the large film studios and ho knows many of the famous stars intimately. “There are thousands of disappointed girls ekeing out a precarious existence in Hollywood,” said Mr. Allard “One sees them every day—holes in their stockings, patched frocks, and pathetic looks of despair on their faces. They are eager for even a chance to be an extra, for a day. Many of them do not know where their next meal is coming from, and some are reduced to petty thieving. It has got so bad that people have to provide a. box with a lock for their milk hotties. For the highly-paid stars and executives there was, of course, a different story, said Mr. Allard. But in spite of their high salaries many of them were nearly bankrupt when their picture-mak-ing days wore over. During their popularity the public and their social set demanded expensive homes, motor-cars, jewellery and lavish enteritainment. Consequently, their salaries were almost entirely eaten up, if not exceeded.